Display rack



March 9, 1965 RULF 3,172,539

DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 28, 1963 6 INVENTOR.

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MJMAFMYMJ.

United States Patent 3,172,539 DISPLAY RACK Elmer G. Rulf, Brookfield,Wis., assignor to Eldon Manufacturing Co., a corporation of WisconsinFiled Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,361 8 Claims. (Cl. 21159) Thisinvention relates to a display rack.

For the purpose of this exemplification, the merchandise to be displayedis shown as a sack provided with a handle. The rack is designed to beshipped flat in knockdown form and it is readily erected to provide asimple and very effective display in which the merchandise to be sold isrendered prominent and the rack is inconspicuous.

A basic frame has the form of an inverted U with legs having their freeends turned rearwardly to provide feet. Angled bars detachably connectedwith the frame extend forwardly to provide forward legs and feet, theangles being such that the frame is preferably tilted slightly to therear. The connection of the forward legs to the legs of the framepreferably includes a cross bolt spanning the frame and without whichthere would be no connection whatever between the legs of the frame.

The legs of the frame are transversely bored at appropriate intervals toreceive transverse pins which anchor the arms upon which the handles ofthe sacks of merchandise are supported. Each arm has the form of anendless flat loop with an intermediate bight which has portionsextending behind one of the pins and then forwardly thereof and aroundthe leg of the frame. By simply holding the arm at a slightly raisedangle with respect to the frame, the pin is readily inserted andthereupon the greater the load imposed on the arm, the more tightly willthe arm and the pin be anchored to the stand.

A wire clip extending across the upper end of the frame has hookportions engaged with the respective legs and has an intermediate upwardloop which cooperates with the top bar of the frame to hold a displaycard which may contain advertising or price information.

In some instances, it may be desired that arms be provided at both sidesof the frame. In such a case, the frame is preferably designed to standvertically and a pair of oppositely projecting arms may be anchored byeach pm.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a display stand embodying theinvention, a single item of merchandise being shown in position on oneof the arms.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective separately showing the card-retainingclip.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale showing theanchored portion of one of the arms and a fragment of the frame portionof the stand.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail plan view of the parts of the apparatusshown in FIG. 3, the upright portion of the stand being illustrated insection.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified embodiment of theinvention in which the frame is upright and two oppositely projectingarms are provided.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the modified embodimentof FIG. 5.

A display stand embodying the invention comprises a frame portion 8which may be upright as shown in FIG. 5 but preferably is onlyapproximately so, having a slight rearward inclination as shown in FIGS.1 and 3. The frame has the form of an inverted U with a transverse barat 10 and legs 12 and 14, the latter preferably having rearwardlycurving feet at 16, which may be equipped with rubber tips 18.

The supplemental legs 20 and 22 are detachably connected with legs 12and 14 respectively, as by means of cross bolt 24 and shorter bolts 26provided with wing nuts 28. The legs 20 and 22 project forwardly at anoblique angle and may have rubber tips 18 at their ends. With the legs2%) and 22 detached, the frame 8 is nearly planiform for shippingpurposes.

Projecting over the longer legs 20 and 22 of the stand are the arms 30which support the merchandise to be displayed. In the particular displayshown, the merchandise comprises a bag 32 having a handle 34 ofsufficient extent to be engaged with one of the arms 30.

Each of the arms preferably comprises a closed loop which may be made ofwire having generally parallel strands 36 and 38 shown, and an upwardlytilted outer end loop 40. The spacing between the strands 36 and 38 issufficient to accommodate one of the legs 12 or 14 of the stand. Besidethe leg, the respective strands 36 and 38 have curved bights at 46 and48, extending downwardly and thence forwardly and connected across thefront of the leg at 50. In the bights provided by the downward curves at46 and 48 is a pin 52 for which the leg portion of the stand is providedwith an opening 53 as best shown in FIG. 4. The pin can be pushedthrough the opening to release the arm only when relieved of the thrustof the arm, as by lifting upwardly the free end of the arm. Similarly,to assemble the arm, the arm is held at a slight upward angle so thatits portion 50 is free of thrust on the leg. This displaces the bights46 and 4-8 out of engagement with the pin 52, thereby permitting the pinto slide freely into the opening and to be centered with respect to theleg 12. Light as the arm is, the weight of its free end, even withoutmerchandise load, imposes cramping stress on the pin to anchor the pin.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show how a pair of the arms may be assembled on asingle pin 52 to project in opposite directions from the frame portionof the device.

The advertising or price display card 54 may conveniently be clampedagainst the cross bar 10 of the frame portion of the device by means ofa spring clip generically designated by reference character 56. Thisclip comprises a wire or the like 58 which is formed intermediate itsends to provide an upwardly extending loop 6% which engages the card 5and holds it erect. The wire 58 is kept from turning by reason of thefact that the hooks 62 and 64 which engage around the respective legs 12and 14- have terminal portions extended downwardly at 66 and 68 andthence curvilinearly to provide a vertically offset hook at '70 and 72,thus stabilizing the wire to hold the loop 60 in the desired plane. Thearrangement is such that the spring clip 56 can readily he slid to andfrom the indicated position by moving it in the plane of the frame 8,the respective hooks moving axially of the legs with which they are tobe engaged or from which they are to be disengaged.

With the frame erected as shown in FIG. 1, the stand will carry a veryheavy load of merchandise without tending to tilt and without anytendency for the goods to slide forwardly on the supporting arms 30. Yetan item can easily he slid from the free end of the arm across theslightly elevated loop portion 40 at its outer end. It is an interestingfact that when the device is in use the stand is hardly visible and thefloor space required is scarcely more than is required by the goods tobe merchandised.

No tools are required either to erect or dismantle the stand. Three wingnuts on the bolts 24 and 26 connect the legs. The several arms aremounted on pins which are fixed in position by the weight of therespective arms, without fastening devices. The entire stand can beshipped in a carton having thickness only slightly greater than thethickness of the bar stock used in making the frame and it requires onlya few moments of time to erect the stand in condition for use.

I claim:

1. In a display stand, the combination with a transversely piercedupright leg and a pin disposed transversely of said leg and freelymovable to and from position therein wherein said pin has projectingends, of an arm for supporting merchandise to be displaced on said standand comprising an endless fiat loop of Wire having a bight remote fromthe leg and laterally spaced portions extending across the ends of thepin at opposite sides of the leg and thence around and beneath said pin,said loop further having a mutual connection between said portionsforwardly of the leg and engaged with the leg beneath said portions.

2. A display stand comprising a frame in the form of an inverted Uhaving a top bar and laterally spaced legs with terminal feet andprovided intermediate the cross bar and feet with transverse openings atintervals, pins having a length materially exceeding the width of therespective legs and loosely fitted in said openings with their endsprojecting from the legs, and merchandisesupporting arms projectingoutwardly from respective legs and each having bight portions hookedover the projecting ends of said pins and thence extending forwardly andhooked in front of respective legs, together with supplemental leg meansconnected with the legs of said frame and projecting outwardly therefrombeneath said arms to support the frame in a generally upright position.

3. A display stand according to claim 2 in which the supplemental legmeans comprises a pair of bars having end portions substantiallyparallelling the respective legs first mentioned and other portionsextending forwardly therefrom, and bolts connecting the bars to thelegs, one of which bolts extends transversely between the legs, thebolts having readily detachable manually operable nuts.

4. A merchandise display stand comprising the combination with agenerally upright frame including a top cross bar and supporting legs,of outwardly projecting legs detachably connected with the legs firstmentioned adjacent the lower ends thereof and constituting means forholding the frame generally upright, the legs first mentioned beingprovided with transverse openings at vertically spaced intervals, andarms projecting forwardly from each of the first mentioned legs abovethe outwardly projecting legs and constituting means for the support ofmerchandise, the arms comprising flat loops having laterally spacedportions each of which has a downwardly curving bight, the respectivebights embracing one of said legs between them and having an interconnection constituting a forwardly disposed bight engaging the lastmentioned leg forwardly thereof, said last mentioned leg having pinsextending transversely through said openings and reciprocable therein toand from positions wherein each pin has its ends engaged in bights ofsaid laterally spaced arm portions, each such pin having its endsholding the bight of an arm engaged thereby and being held frictionallyin position in said leg by said arm and merchandise supported thereon.

5. A display stand for merchandise, said stand cornprising a framehaving a top bar and generally upright legs supporting the top bar,means for holding the frame in a generally upright position, the legsbeing provided at vertically spaced intervals with transverse holes,cross pins in the respective holes, and oppositely projecting armsmounted in pairs upon the respective legs, the arms of each pair beingengaged with the ends of one of the cross pins, each such arm having afirst bight portion extending over and around the end of across pin anda second bight portion engaged with the leg beneath the cross pin.

6. A display stand according to claim 5 in whicheach such arm is made ofwire and includes strands laterally spaced to receive the leg betweenthem, each of the two strands having the bights first mentioned andengaged with opposite ends of the cross pin and the said bights having aconnection in front of the leg providing the bight second mentioned.

7. A merchandise display stand comprising a generally upright frame witha top cross bar and legs, merchandise-supporting arms projecting fromthe legs, and means coacting with said frame for holding a display cardthereto, said means comprising a spring clip having double integral hookportions on each end slidably engaged with the legs of the frame andhaving an intermediate loop portion resiliently biased toward thecrossbar of the frame for clamping engagement with a display card confinedbetween the cross bar and the loop portion.

8. A clip detachably engageable with the legs of a merchandise displaystand having a crossbar supported on such legs, the clip comprising wiremeans transversely spanning the space between legs and provided with anupward loop engageable with the cross bar intermediate the legs, theends of said wire means having leg-engaging bights open to pass thecross bar and slidable downwardly upon said legs, and being furtherprovided with second bights offset vertically fromthe bights firstmentioned and integrally connected therewith and slidable on said legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 18,539 7/32White 24-73 595,064 '12/97 Herbst 248-243 834,057 10/06 Hoerlein 211-1781,128,419 2/15 Dear 248317 1,954,935 4/34 Karnes 248243 2,122,833 7/38Black 211-l 2,629,574 2/53 Stevens 248-221 2,644,688 7/53 Roberge 272-57FOREIGN PATENTS 807,410 1/59 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

5. A DISPLAY STAND FOR MERCHANDISE, SAID STAND COMPRISING A FRAME HAVINGA TOP BAR AND GENERALLY UPRIGHT LEGS SUPPORTING THE TOP BAR, MEANS FORHOLDING THE FRAME IN A GENERALLY UPRIGHT POSITION, THE LEGS BEINGPROVIDED AT VERTICALLY SPACED INTERVALS WITH TRANSVERSE HOLES, CROSSPINS IN THE RESPECTIVE HOLES, AND OPPOSITELY PROJECTING ARMS MOUNTED INPAIRS UPON THE RESPECTIVE LEGS, THE ARMS OF EACH PAIR BEING ENGAGED WITHTHE ENDS OF ONE OF THE